Police department participating in Drug Take Back Day

The Osage Beach Police Department will once again be participating in the DEA Drug Take Back Day on April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be at the Osage Beach City Hall, Police Department side. No questions asked when you drop your drugs off.

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The Lake News Online

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Posted Apr. 25, 2014 at 11:00 AM

Posted Apr. 25, 2014 at 11:00 AM

Osage Beach

The Osage Beach Police Department will once again be participating in the DEA Drug Take Back Day on April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be at the Osage Beach City Hall, Police Department side. No questions asked when you drop your drugs off.

Q: May we accept the containers that the drugs come in as well as the drugs? Yes, you may. No need to separate the drugs from the vials. Plastic and glass are acceptable; however, NO NEEDLES.

Q: May we accept pre-loaded syringes? Yes, as long as the needle has been removed by the patient.

Q: What advice should we give those who bring syringes with needles that we cannot accept? Believe it or not, the following advice comes from the waste disposal industry. Advise the user to place the syringes in an empty plastic laundry detergent container. Screw the cap back on the container, mark the bottle “SHARPS” with a pen and dispose in the trash.

Q: May we accept inhalers? No. We can’t accept inhalers or any aerosol medications because they “pop” or explode at the incineration facility.

Q: May we accept veterinary drugs? Yes. Veterinary drugs are available by Rx and over-the-counter (OTC). ALL Rx and OTC drugs are acceptable. The species of the “consumer” does not matter.

Q: My local pharmacist says we have to remove the Rx label from the vials before we can accept them per HIPPA privacy rules? No. HIPPA does not apply to you or this situation. This is a voluntary project that is consumer driven. You are under no obligation to remove anything from any label. The consumer should remove or deface the label if they are concerned before placing the vial in the box. All material in these containers will be incinerated. You may reassure the public that their privacy is being protected.

Q: May we accept medications from a nursing home? Yes. Medications dispensed to clients in a nursing home are prescribed to the patient and are not the property of the nursing home, so they may be accepted.

Q. A local doctor/veterinarian/pharmacy or hospital has outdated drugs they want to drop off. May we accept those as well? No. Doctors, pharmacies and hospitals purchase drugs direct from wholesalers and MUST keep records of all drugs they receive and dispense or administer. These entities have a system available to them that allows them to return drugs to the supplier or dispose of them by using a DEA registered company to do that for them. If they have any questions, tell them to contact their local DEA office for clarification.

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Q: Should we count the drugs or keep a log? No. These drop-offs are intended to be anonymous. Do NOT count or inventory the drugs. In fact, we advise you not to touch them at all. Have the consumer toss the container into the box and they walk away. It is that simple. We are not opening the boxes at all. We don’t want to risk an accidental needle stick or expose ourselves to whatever contagions may be present and neither should you.